


Flood the Night

by Cymbre



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Alternate Universe - Magic, Babysitting, M/M, child!Aone, there are others but they're background characters
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-17
Updated: 2018-11-17
Packaged: 2019-08-24 20:46:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,710
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16647494
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cymbre/pseuds/Cymbre
Summary: Futakuchi Kenji has, unfortunately, developed a crush on Tanaka Ryuunosuke, his babysitter and self-proclaimed witch. (Tanaka’s words, not his.) But crushes lead to trouble and trouble’s the last thing Futakuchi wants. But one night Futakuchi has more than his feelings to worry about.





	Flood the Night

Wake up. Go to work. Get off work. Pick up his son. Hang out at home until dinner time. Sleep. Repeat. Sometimes he switched things up during the day or plans went off course unexpectedly but for the most part, things went along those same lines daily. Today was like any of those days. Futakuchi had turned off his blaring alarm and padded into the kitchen to brew coffee and start on breakfast for him and his son. A simple meal of eggs, rice and toast, a cup of milk for his son and coffee for himself. They both sat and ate, Futakuchi looking over some paperwork while Aone made an attempt of trying to multitask eating and watching a cartoon on t.v. He was finishing up when he received a message from Tanaka, his babysitter, stating that he was almost at the apartment. Futakuchi typed out a quick reply before standing.

“Be sure to finish up, Aone. Tanaka-san is almost here.”

Aone perked up at the news, nodding excitily. Futakuchi caught himself smiling as he took his empty plate to the kitchen.

He was grateful for the days Tanaka was over. It made their quiet, little household a bit lively. While Futakuchi didn't mind the setup, the change in routine was good for both him and Aone. His son seemed to like him enough. It also didn't hurt that the sitter was nice to look at. Not that Futakuchi would tell him that. He had a hard enough time keeping his thoughts from becoming tiny confessions.

His phone went off again. Tanaka was a block from the building. He show up right after they had finished breakfast like clockwork. Futakuchi ran his hand through his hair to tame it and he’d made sure to wash his face before waking Aone for breakfast. Not that he cared how he looked in the morning or was looking to impress a certain someone. 

Futakuchi walked out of the kitchen at the sound of the doorbell but his son had beat him to the door. Aone was hugging one of Ryu's legs as the man discarded his shoes and bag by the door.

"What are you still doing in your pjs?! We got so much to so today!"

Aone spoke quietly, Tanaka listening intently and nodding while the boy spoke. Futakuchi watched the scene from the doorway, his shoulders relaxing at their interaction. Aone wasn't the most expressive child, which apparently was a problem for previous sitters he had hired. They often commented on Aone's lack of communication, stating the boy must not like them or wasn't interested in any of their activities. They eventually quit or he had to let them go. Both resulted in his son feeling responsible despite the outcome. So he was more than weary after he was recommended Tanaka Ryuunosuke. It didn’t help that his first impression of him had been...less than stellar. He wasn’t expecting a man with a shaved head, a loud wardrobe and an even louder personality. The red button up clashed brightly with all the black and yellow he was wearing. And Futakuchi was sure there was a large, embroidered dragon clawing up the side of his jeans and he couldn’t even begin to decipher the overlapping kanji on his shirt. He had had his doubts about leaving his child with an actual delinquent. (What, with the way he looked and the glaring, he had to be) But once they sat down and began talking about his experience with babysitting, he found that not only did he recognized a few names brought up during their conversation but he seemed serious about his job as well. And then he smiled and lit up the room and before he knew it, Futakuchi had said yes and paid for his coffee too. 

The first day was more than a little stressful for the both of them, Aone more so than his father. He’d been quieter than usual, reacting poorly to Tanaka despite his efforts. Futakuchi knew it wasn’t either parties fault but it didn’t keep the sinking feeling he had throughout the day at bay. He wasn’t exactly fond of the idea of letting another sitter go so soon.

After his work was done, Futakuchi had walked Tanaka to the door, dreading the conversation they were about to have. He apologized for Aone being quiet, as he usually did, waiting for the inevitable. So imagine his surprise when Tanaka asked when he’d want him back over. Futakuchi had repeated himself dumbly. Tanaka waved off his apology with a smile, saying something along the lines of “he’s just shy is all!” or “he’s just not use to me yet.” After stumbling over his words, they settled on another day. As he waved him off, it was then that Futakuchi realized that this might actually work. 

Now, almost seven months later, Tanaka was a regular in their life and a source of constant torture for Futakuchi. The more time he spent with him, the more he found himself burying certain feelings and making sure he wasn’t blatantly staring. He wanted to believe those earlier interactions was just shock that he'd found a long term babysitter and not that he was embarrassed over a crush. He was an adult after all. But he was so patient with his son and let Aone interact with him in his own way. It didn’t go without notice that Aone was starting to open up more to the man, often asking when “Taka-san” would come visit again. Speaking of Taka-san, he was walking back towards him, taking exaggerated steps with Aone standing on his feet. He smiled big once they reached him. “Heeey Futakuchi-senpai.”

He did that to annoy him but when he said his name like that, it did this thing to his heart were it raced with warmth and something like adoration.

He hated it.

Futakuchi walked into his bedroom to finish getting ready for work, listening to Tanaka as he spoke to his son. The conversation sounded very one-sided through the wall. Once he was put together, Futakuchi joined them back in the living room.

At the moment Tanaka was kneeling in front of Aone, helping the boy get his arms into his shirt. Curious, Futakuchi walked over to them as he button his green shirt. 

"Going somewhere, little bear?"

Aone nodded as Tanaka stood, heading off to get his shoes. Aone reached over into what Futakuchi assumed was his day bag, pulling out a large picture book to show him. A red turtle graced the cover. Before he could guess, Tanaka called out from the entrance.

"We're going to the aquarium today!"

Right. He had mentioned their plans the last time he was over. He made quick work of his tie, checking the clock as he finished the knot. He grabbed his keys and wallet, opening the latter to pull out a few bills. “How much do you need?”

“Uh, zero. Cause I told you before it was alright.” 

Futakuchi narrowed his eyes. “Just take it.”

Sighing loudly, Tanaka held out his hand reluctantly as Futakuchi shoved the bills into his waiting hand. He insisted that he didn’t need to be paid for the extra stuff. Extra stuff being things like random trips for ice cream or coming home with a stuffed animal that Aone clearly didn’t have when they left the house. You’d think they’d tired of the same song and dance and yet here he was, forcing money on his babysitter again so the handsome bastard wouldn’t have to pay for things out of pocket. Futakuchi walked away before Tanaka could give the money back. “I’ll be heading out first.”

"Have fun at your boring job."

Futakuchi snorted, pulling on his suit jacket as he stared Tanaka down.

"My 'boring' job is how you get paid, in case you've forgotten. "

"Annnnd let's wish dad a good day at work, Aone!"

Futakuchi felt a familiar tug on his jacket, Aone looking up expectantly. He rolled his eyes at his sitter, bending low enough to ruffle his son's hair. "Be good for Tanaka-san, okay." Aone nodded, the tiniest of smiles on his face.

Futakuchi straightened, pointing an accusing finger at Tanaka as he slung his work bag onto his shoulder. "Don't do anything weird around my son."

“You don’t have to say that _every_ time you leave! Have some faith, man!"

"I'll see about finding some of that faith you mention," Futakuchi retorted, grabbing his umbrella as he walked out the door. While he didn't see how Tanaka fell against the wall, he did hear the offended noise he made at his retort.

***

Futakuchi opened the door to Dateko Publishing, greeting the receptionist on his way to the elevator. Today was a short work day with only the magazine cover to finalize and follow-up with a few of the stories pulled from the last submission round. If he was lucky, maybe he could surprise Aone and Tanaka at the aquarium. The idea made him smile while he waited for the elevator to reach his floor.  
The doors finally pinged open and Futakuchi entered the floor-

-and walked straight into hell. 

The office was in an uproar. Papers flying through the air, for some reason Yasushi Kamasaki, the editor-in-chief, had his tie wrapped over his blonde hair, shirt nowhere in sight and if he listened hard enough he could probably hear their lead editor, Moniwa, panicking in one of the offices. The only one who looked remotely sane was their intern, Kōsuke Sakunami, who was walking by with a stack of papers just as the door closed behind Futakuchi. At the sight of him, Sakunami paused, shifting the stack in his arms to face Futakuchi properly. He was a hard worker but everyone in the office went out of their way to make sure the younger wasn’t overburdened with work and actually learning. This wasn’t a good sign.

“What’s going on here?”

Sakunami glanced around the office in disarray. 

One of their clients decided that slight changes needed to be made to his manuscript. By slight he meant swapping out a third of the dialogue and having his artist change the background color of the cover from purple to soft pink because it was "easier on the eyes." Their other author, Sugawara, couldn't make the trip to attend his meeting due to his son being sick and the sudden changes requested for the story he was illustrating (see first problem). Oh, and the printer jammed at some point during the night, which meant the twenty something odd manuscripts that should have been waiting for them that morning were just now going through.

Out of order.

“Moniwa came in early, realized what was happening and called in Sasaya and Kamasaki. They called in everyone living close to the company. And, well,” he motioned back to the office. But Futakuchi was already heading back to the door. Today seemed like a good time to take a personal day. He felt Sakunami pull at the back of his jacket.

"Please go to your desk and work, Futakuchi-senpai."

Dammit.

***

The sun was brutal, beating down on anyone unfortunate to be caught outside unprepared. Tanaka bit into the popsicle he bought for himself, watching to ensure Aone didn’t accidently spill his cone over himself. While he knew the boy was big enough to eat on his own, the ice cream was melting faster than he could eat it. He’d make a mess of his clothes before he finished eating and while he had a change of clothing, Tanaka would rather save those for an emergency if he could help it.

With a short flick of his wrist, the wind turned in their general direction, cooling them off slightly without sending leaves their way. Tanaka leaned his head back against the park bench, enjoying the breeze he’d brought their way. It was a simple spell, more of a suggestion than anything and one he used often during the heat of summer. He felt eyes on him. He tilted his head towards his charge, the white-haired boy staring at him curiously. Tanaka smiled, ruffling his hair affectionately.

“Not much gets past you, huh?” 

Aone swung his legs at the comment, returning his attention to the ice cream running down his hands. The boy was a curious thing in itself. That fact that he spotted most of Tanaka’s spellwork was impressive for his age, even the tiny ones he wove into his day to day life. But those were specifics Tanaka didn’t dwell too much on. Aone was a sweet kid enjoying life the best way he could, magic present or not. Though he didn’t seem fazed by Tanaka using magic. He wondered if he’d been exposed to magic earlier in his life. His father or close relative perhaps? Speaking of his father…

Tanaka pulled his phone from his pocket, checking for any new messages from Futakuchi.  
Zero messages, with the exception of Ennoshita asking how his plans with Aone was going. He finished his popsicle, squinting his eyes against the glare on his screen to reply back.

 

To: Ennoshita [2:47 pm]  
Going great! Chilling the park before heading back to the aquarium.

From: Ennoshita [2: 54 pm]  
That’s good.

From: Ennoshita [2:56 pm]  
Have you asked yet?

To: Ennoshita [3:01 pm]  
...no….he seemed in a hurry this morning. I figured I’d ask once he got back?

From: Ennoshita [3:05 pm]  
What’s up with the question mark. Just ask when you’re comfortable.

 

Easier said than done. It wasn’t exactly professional to try and date your client, no matter how gorgeous he was. Tanaka put his phone away, attention back to the job at hand. Aone held his hands out toward Tanaka, cone finished and mess kept to a minimum. Tanaka gathered their things while Aone wiped off his hands and face.

Hands clean, he handed the boy back the stuffed, spotted turtle they’d scored at the gift shop earlier. “Ready to head back?” 

Aone took the animal in one hand, holding Tanaka hand with the other as they headed back to the aquarium.

When they returned to the building, however, it was closed, windows dark and halls empty. Apparently several of the areas were experiencing technical difficulties that they couldn’t explain and it would take hours to get everything up and running again. Tanaka thanked the worker for his time as they left. 

“Sorry, Aone. Looks like we’ll have to finish our adventure another time.”

Aone nodded, glancing over his shoulder at the dark building behind them. It wasn’t ideal but they would head home early. No point in them staying out in the heat with nothing to do. Tanaka pulled out his phone to let Futakuchi know they’d be heading home early. Just as he was about to hit send an idea popped into his head.

“Know what,” Tanaka stated with a smile, steering them to the nearest stationery store, “I've got a better idea.”

***

Tanaka flipped through the picture book slowly. He'd read it plenty of times to Aone but looking at it now, he realized that besides the main turtle and the last two pages, there weren't many fish present in the story. He looked down at Aone, who had abandoned his snacks in favor of the book Tanaka was flipping through. Tanaka tented his fingers.

"As I thought. We're gonna need more fish."

"More?"

“Yep!” Tanaka pulled out the colorful paper they had purchased on the way home and placed the pile on the table. “Lots more.”

Instead of questioning whatever plan his sitter was scheming, Aone rose to his feet and went to his room, returning with markers in tow. He reclaimed his spot by Tanaka, glancing up expectantly. Tanaka grinned, popping the cap off a green marker. “Let’s get to work.”

***

With much work and an ungodly amount of determination, Dateko Publishing was back on track after its disastrous day. Most of the lights were off save for the few employees lagging behind to tie up some loose ends. Futakuchi scrubbed at face, fatigue setting in. He leaned back to glance at the clock. The trains would stop running soon if he stayed any longer. He’d rather not have Tanaka spend the night. Futakuchi shut down his computer and grabbed his things, heading towards Moniwa’s office. He could see the man pouring over papers scattered across his desk, attention focused. Futakuchi opened the door. Moniwa glanced up, smiling when he noticed him. 

“Heading out?”

Futakuchi nodded, pointing at the clock. “The trains will stop running if we don’t leave. Unless you plan on staying, senpai.”

His editor looked at the clock, startled. Moniwa stood, quickly putting his desk in order. “I’d rather not. Let’s gather up Kamasaki and head home for the day.” 

After confirming the projects were back to their original scheduled dates, and Kamasaki found his shirt, the three left work. Moniwa and Futakuchi said their goodbyes as Kamasaki departed, having biked to work. The two began their walk to the station.

“It certainly was a busy day, wasn’t it.” 

Futakuchi sighed loudly. “Is that what it was? I hope we never have a disaster like this for a long time.” 

Moniwa laughed, patting Futakuchi’s back. “I hope so as well. But at least you have something to look forward to when you get home.”

Futakuchi pulled out his phone and swore, seeing the missed message from his sitter. He should let Tanaka know he was on his way home. He waited but received no reply. If anything, Tanaka was always quick to reply back. Maybe he should try calling? It’s possible that he was putting Aone to bed and left his phone in another room. He wasn’t sure he’d make it back in time for Tanaka to catch his own train home. Futakuchi knew Tanaka was a chill guy but he didn’t think the man would be happy to spend the night on a couch. 

“Something wrong?”

“My babysitter isn’t picking up.”

“The cute witch?”

“Stop.” Futakuchi knew were this was going and he’d rather do anything except have this conversation. He’d admitted his attraction to Tanaka to his senior during one of the their drinking nights after work. He thought that perhaps Moniwa had dismissed it as drunken rambling after a few days and no signs of Moniwa caring. He was wrong.

“It’s not like that.” _Though he wished it was._ “Aone loves him. And while he might do...strange..things at times, he’s still good at his job.” Like the time he’d brought a box of jars over, each filled to the brim with who knows what and labeled strangely. Or the fact that sometimes he placed a literal broom outside his apartment door. When pressed about it, Tanaka would wave the question off, laughing nervously before steering the conversation elsewhere. And more often than not, Futakuchi was certain the crow tattoo on Tanaka's arm watched him. 

Moniwa shrugged, shifting his bag to his other hand as they reached the station. “I don’t understand why you just don’t ask him out already. You like him well enough, if your pool story was any indication.”

“We don’t talk about the pool incident. Ever.” The heat ran up the back of his neck just thinking about it.

There was a laugh from Moniwa and a glare from Futakuchi. “Right, right. But the faces you make and the way you talk about Tanaka-kun are always opposites.” He reached up and patted Futakuchi’s shoulder reassuringly, a look in his eyes Kenji couldn’t quite read. “Really though, what’s the harm in asking?”

“He could know I harbor romantic feelings towards him and would like to act on them?”

“So you’re avoiding the situation?”

Rather than reply, Futakuchi pushed the smaller man onto his train before he could suggest anything else. 

“Enjoy the rest of your night, Moniwa-senpai.”

“There’s nothing wrong with enjoying yourself every once in while,” he called out over his shoulder.

Futakuchi waved him off as the doors closed, the train heading to its destination. He sighed, looking at his phone again for a reply. He really hated the way Moniwa saw through his dramatics. Cause sure he COULD ask Tanaka out but why ruin the good thing they had built for themselves and risk running the man out of his life. Futakuchi’s train rolled in along with the rain as he boarded. He leaned his head against the window, closing his eyes as he listened to the rain pelt against the glass.

He wished asking was as easy as Moniwa made it sound.

***

Tanaka checked his phone for the fourth time. Still no reply. It wasn’t like Futakuchi to go this long without replying back. Maybe he should call the office? No. He was probably busy with something at work that required his attention. Or he could be in a meeting and couldn’t check his phone. If he didn’t reply back then Tanaka knew there was a reason for it. Although, it was getting late. He’d have to put Aone to bed soon. Which meant he’d have to start soon. 

Setting the phone aside, Tanaka turned his attention to the mess on the table. Scraps of colored paper was everywhere, piles of paper fish stacked among it all.  
Tanaka’s grimoire laid open on the table, sketches and words scratched onto the pages as he alternated between creating the spell and assisting Aone with their craft project. Between the two of them, they had amassed close to three dozen sea creatures. Aone had moved on to turtles and jellyfish after his third or fourth fish so Tanaka was on fish duty. He even managed a pufferfish for Futakuchi. Satisfied with the amount of fish, Tanaka stood and made his way around the room, tucking jars into the corners away from the rest of their work. He looked back at his grimoire, glancing over the sketch again. The whole thing was hastily put together but the spell would hold the way it should. 

First, the foundation. 

Tanaka rubbed his fingers together, focusing on building the magic before blowing softly. The bubbles formed steadily from the circle he formed with his fingers. They watched as it filled the room, bouncing off the invisible barrier Tanaka had created around the room and along the doorways. Aone stood wide-eyed, popping one of the many bubbles floating above his head. Then another and another.

Tanaka laughed. “Don't pop too many of them. The spell will fade out faster if you do.” Aone froze, pulling his hand away.

He placed the picture book in the middle of the floor. Tanaka took a breath to steady himself before holding his palm over the pages. Magic pulsed through his fingers, the water already moving as he exhaled.

_I call forth the water within,_  
of infinite shape and form  
Shining and deep  
To move in this world  
Unbound for all to see 

The page fluttered a moment before ribbons of blue and green streamed out, turning to liquid as it made contact with the floor. The water branched out along the wood before floating upward, droplets attaching to the bubbles he had made earlier. It was pouring out faster than he expected. The water had reached his ankles when Tanaka felt a grip on his shirt as Aone huddled close.

“Taka-san.”

He wrapped his arm around the boy’s shoulder. “It’s okay. See?”

Tanaka made a show of dipping his head below the rising water. His playful mood didn’t stop Aone from holding his breath and closing his eyes, face scrunched while the water passed his head. The water reached the ceiling, stopping at the entry points to the room. Tanaka waited for Aone to open his eyes, surprise that he could, in fact, breathe. At this rate he feared that his eyes would get stuck that way. Tanaka took in the anchors he’d placed in the corners of the room. They were holding strong.

Tanaka took a red, paper fish off the table. He angled his arm as if launching a paper plane and released it, the fish floundering about before swimming on its way. Tanaka laughed as Aone followed after it, smiling as Tanaka launched one fish after another. Tanaka managed to get in another before fishes piled on the table fluttered to life, joining the others circling the living room in a slowly thriving ocean. Tanaka sat on the floor, watching Aone chase after the many fish and one elusive red turtle. Once he’d tired of running circles, the boy came and sat by Tanaka. Tanaka recreated the events of Aone’s book, The Tiny Adventures of Snapper, spinning the story of the small turtle’s adventure behind the t.v. and around the legs of the table. When the story was done, Aone started naming the fishes. Bright orange for Shoyou; purple for Hitoka; a shark with a pointy grin was Taka-san, obviously. And when they ran out of names, they both sat in the quiet as the fish swam on. 

***

Futakuchi shook out his umbrella before reaching for the keys to his apartment. The exhaustion of the day weighed down on him as he unlocked the door to his apartment. He couldn't wait to get comfortable and see his son.

Or cuddle with the babysitter.

Futakuchi slammed the door a little harder than necessary, cringing as the sound vibrated through the apartment. His thoughts were running away with him because he was tired. He'd gather Aone, thank Tanaka for staying late and either send him on his way or offer him a futon before fleeing to bed. The last thing he needed was to make things awkward. He leaned down to untie his work shoes and called out from the front door. 

"I'm home." 

While there wasn't an answer, Futakuchi heard the quiet patter coming from the short hallway. Seconds later, Aone poked his head around the corner, his face lighting up at the sight of his father. Aone ran the length of the hallway towards him, arms wrapping around his neck as Futakuchi gathered him up into a hug.

"Why aren’t you asleep yet? And where's Tanaka?" Probably sleeping. It was late. Aone pointed towards the living room. He placed Aone back on the floor, following behind as he loosened his tie. He doubt any of the trains were still running this late. He’d have to figure out how to make it up to Tanaka. Perhaps he could make an effort for breakfast in the morning.

“I’m sorry I’m late Tanaka but none of my messages seemed to be getting-”

The rest of the sentence died on his lips as Futakuchi round the corner, bag sliding off his shoulder as his eyes widen.

His living room was submerged in water. Literally.

And in the center of the room was Tanaka, eyes half-lidded as he gazed towards the ceiling where luminous fish swam in circles through the air. The water didn’t seem to bother him in the slightest. Futakuchi stepped forward, his hand reaching out to the edge of the water. It felt like pushing through plastic, the water clinging around his fingers as it slowly gave way to the other side. There was a tingling sensation in his fingertips as his hand broke through, otherwise the air just felt...charged, for lack of a better word. 

Futakuchi was so entranced that he didn’t notice his son pressing against the barrier, body halfway in before registering what was happening. Without thinking, he grabbed Aone by his waist and yanked him back, checking him over.

"Are you alright, Aone!"

The boy nodded, expression unchanging. Futakuchi breathe a sigh of relief, looking between the scene in his home and his son. His heartbeat was practically out of his chest as he spoke.

"What is this? How did this happen?"

"The aquarium closed," Aone stated, wiggling out of his father’s grasp.

"I...I see." Futakuchi wasn't sure what that had to do with the scenery in their living room but gaping wasn't going to solve it either. If he thought about it too long the panic would set in. So his best option: a distraction. He took hold of Aone’s hand, leading them away from the living room "Let's get you to bed."

The nightlight was the only source of light as Futakuchi put Aone to bed, tucking the blanket around him. At least this part of the house was normal. As he began to stand Futakuchi felt a tug on the sleeve of his shirt.

"No yelling."

"I won't yell at him. Even though he’s flooded the living room...” The boy scrunched his face up, clearly unhappy with the reply.

"I promise! He's not in any trouble." He knelt by the bed again, patting the blanket softly. Satisfied with the promise, Aone closed his eyes. Futakuchi waited until he was sure his son was asleep and then a moment more before he went to tackle the situation in his living room.

Nothing had changed during his short absence. He took a breath and stepped through the invisible wall, only slightly surprised by the fact he could breathe. _Magic._ Maybe it was shock but he was calmer. He also noticed that the fish were slightly…..off? They swam perfectly fine despite their fins being greatly misshapen or completely absent. A large portion of them lacked scales and mouths on their bodies. The few jellyfish he’d seen simply rocked back and forward instead floating about. It was as if someone ran out of motivation halfway through and rushed through the rest. Futakuchi noticed that many of the fish schooled together near some of the larger bubbles floating about the room.

Futakuchi pushed the crudely drawn creations out of his way, crouching to Tanaka's level. His eyes were a storm lost beneath currents of blue, intense in their focus.  
Futakuchi held the younger man's face in his hands. A slight shiver traveled down his arm and up his spine. Futakuchi wasn’t sure if it was the effect of the spell or nerves.

“Tanaka? Taaanaka.”

Tanaka remained motionless. 

“Ryu.”

Tanaka blinked, eyes focusing as if hearing him for the first time since entering room. He reached out and gently cradled Futakuchi’s cheek. “Kenji?”

Futakuchi ceased breathing at the sound of his name. He wanted to believe the fluttering in his chest was worry over Tanaka being okay and not the closeness of their face to one another. Futakuchi took in the sharp planes of his face, his thumb ghosting over faded scars he was noticing for the first time. He wondered how he got them.

As the thought crossed Futakuchi’s mind, a small school of green fish swam between them, the paper brushing the tip of their noses. That seemed to be more than enough to snap Tanaka back to reality, eyes going wide. He pulled his hand back as if he’d been burned, Futakuchi’s cheek still warm from where Tanaka’s hand had been. He stumbled over his words as he tried to speak.

“W-when?! How long have you been home?” He was looking around the room, panic setting on his face. "It's not real! I can make it go away. Just give me a second."

“I put Aone to bed when I got in.” That seemed to calm him down somewhat, face relaxing. Futakuchi looked around the room again, taking it in. “You thought this would be a great idea? While Aone was around?”

Futakuchi instantly regretted his words. 

“You know I wouldn’t do anything to hurt your boy.”

They both sat there, Futakuchi kicking himself mentally. He didn’t mean to sound accustory. The quiet stretched out before them, Futakuchi wishing an apology would form already. Tanaka pointed to a corner of the room after the silence became too much.

“I’ll...go ahead and put this back in order.”

Tanaka went to stand but Futakuchi grabbed his hand, keeping him in place. “I know you wouldn't. I'm sorry.” 

“No, you’re right. I didn’t stop to think if you’d be okay with this,” Tanaka countered,“but it won’t happen again! I swear! I’ll do anything to make it up to you.”

“Anything?”

Tanaka seemed to reconsider his words before saying, “Anything within reason.”

Futakuchi paused,“How about a date?” 

The words were out before he really considered them. Truthfully, he hadn’t expected to get this far. They hadn’t been alone like this since the first time they met months ago. And he wouldn’t dare admit it out loud, but he was more afraid of the answer than the setup. Once the deed was done, fear was fleeting. In this scenario, living with rejection wasn’t something Futakuchi believed he could deal with. He didn’t have to wait long. 

“Yes!” Tanaka replied, a little faster than Futakuchi expected. “I mean, I’d be more than happy with a date. If you’re alright with that.”

Futakuchi looked around the room again, taking it in. “So you really did this?”

Tanaka ducked his head and scratched his cheek. “Yea, well, it goes along with me being a witch but you didn’t seem too thrilled by the idea of me being a witch so.”

“I thought you said it to mess with me!” 

“I told you the first time we met! Why would I say that as a joke? Actually,” Tanaka started, holding up his hands in defeat, “don’t answer that.”

Futakuchi rubbed his face, tired and yeah, maybe just a bit giddy as he laughed at his situation.

“Um, are you tired? You’re starting to creep me out.”

Futakuchi chose not to reply. Instead, he pushed away from Tanaka, getting comfortable on the floor as he laid his head on his lap. He felt Tanaka tense.

“What are you doing?”

“Getting comfortable. Obviously.”

He looked up in time to see red creep across Tanaka’s cheeks again. “Then we should go to bed.”

“I’m not tired.” He stated, relishing in the closeness. “Tell me about the aquarium.”

They stayed like that, Tanaka quietly rattling on about his day. About Tanaka’s plan for them to spend the entire day at the aquarium. About their fantastic discovery in the gift shop and their break for ice cream.

Futakuchi listened as his eyes fluttered closed. It wasn't long before Futakuchi's breathing evened out as Tanaka's voice lulled him to sleep. Tanaka glanced down when he noticed a lack of responses, watching Futakuchi snore softly in his lap. He took his hand and lowered it Futakuchi’s chest, feeling it rise and fall as he continued to speak softly.

Tanaka watched the fish past them by, eyes heavy as the spell faded from him. He hadn’t meant for it to go on this long. He should move them to the bedroom before he fell asleep. Cleanse the area of the lingering magic. Tell Ennoshita he wouldn’t be home til tomorrow. The list ran through his head as Ryu closed his eyes, slipping into the deepest blue.

***

Futakuchi woke with the sun in his face. Eyes squinted, he looked around at his very normal living room. Tanaka’s head rested on the edge of the couch, mouth open as he slept. He wondered if the spell broke once Tanaka had fallen asleep. At some point during the night Aone had joined them, his small blanket barely covering his father's leg and himself as he curled into his side. Futakuchi tried not to move him too much as he freed his arm to sit up and reposition Tanaka's head onto his shoulder. He was surprised the man slept in such an uncomfortable position all night. He glanced at the floor littered with paper fishes from last night, wedged behind shelves and strewn across the furniture. He pulled a tiny, blue fish from his own hair, placing it on the couch behind him. He'd probably continue to find the paper creations for days. 

Futakuchi was dozing off when his phone buzzed to life. He ran his hand behind his head across the cushion before finding it. The message was from Moniwa.

 

From: Moni Maker [7:29 am]  
Don't worry about coming in. It'll be a short day for us all. Enjoy your day off :)

 

Short and to the point. He returned the phone to the couch and closed his eyes again. He’d follow up after a cup of coffee. And as nice as it was to sit there cuddled up on the floor, coffee was sounding better by the minute. He stretched his arms, turning his head to face Tanaka. His eyes were half-open, staring ahead as he took Futakuchi’s hand in his. Futakuchi quite liked it.

“Sorry. I didn’t mean to wake you.”

Tanaka smiled. “It’s okay. Didn’t mean to keep us on the floor.”

They sat there a while longer before Tanaka straighten, stretching his arms over his head. Futakuchi took that as good a sign as any to start the day. He stretched his own arms, free now that Tanaka wasn’t resting on him anymore. Speaking of which-

“So,” Tanaka started, eyeing Futakuchi expectantly as he propped his arm on the couch behind them, “about that date.”

Futakuchi motioned to the living room before them. “You don’t get rewards for making messes.”

“I said I’d clean it!” He protested, his blush inching down his neck. Tanaka grinned at him, “but a little motivation would help.”

“Fine,” Futakuchi huffed, as if he were getting the short end of the deal. He picked up a sleeping Aone and laid him on the sofa. “Only cause it’s was my fault you missed your train home.”

When he didn’t hear a retort, Futakuchi turned back to the living room before he disappeared into the kitchen. Tanaka was scratching at the back of his neck, eyes towards the ceiling. “I, uh, I actually flew here.”

Futakuchi waited as the words sunk in. He wasn’t as surprised as he thought he would be. He had spotted the broom leaning against the wall outside the apartment on his way to work. While he had entertained the idea at first, he didn’t fully believe the broom to be anything more than a prop of sorts. As time when on, it became evident that it was something more than that so the confession came as no surprise. 

What this _did_ mean, however, was the fact that Tanaka had a way to get home. He could have literally flown home as soon as their interaction was over. He chose to stay.

He could have went home at anytime but instead, he let Futakuchi rest his head in his lap and stare into each others eyes like some sort of romance story.

“You alright, Futakuchi? Your face is getting a little red.”

“Shut up,” he said, turning his back as he fled to the kitchen with a hand over his face. “Now you owe me three dates.”

“What?! Where did the extras come from?! Tanaka poked his head through the doorway. “Not that I’m complaining.” His eyes went eyes, cupping a hand around his mouth as he dramatical whispered, “Are you smiling?”

“You can always starve.”

“Harsh.” But that was enough for him to return to the living room. Aone had woken when they stepped out of the room and could hear his excited voice as Tanaka reappeared. Futakuchi hid his face against the pancake batter box, trying to supress the smile on his face. The night hadn’t gone the way he thought it would but he couldn’t complain about the outcome. 

There was a tug on his shirt. Futakuchi looked down at Aone, arms full of paper. He reached into his tiny pile and held a spiky, round piece out to him. The pufferfish sported a face consisting of only three lines. He waved the paper around, asking a question he likely knew the answer to. “What’s this?”

“It’s daddy!”

Of course it was. But before he could ask how he was the equivalent of a pufferfish, Aone had ran back to the living room. The pile was dumped on the tiny kitchen table, forgotten until he returned with more. Futakuchi carefully placed the fish on the fridge door with a magnet, unamused eyes watching as he went about making pancakes. 

Well, maybe he had few complaints after breakfast.

**Author's Note:**

> Oh! You made it to the end of another story. I honestly just wanted to write Tanaka as a witch that wasn't part of a fic I'm working on so here we are.
> 
> Thank you for reading!
> 
> (I'm slowly getting better at this whole thing)


End file.
